warriorsfanficfandomcom-20200213-history
Losing Everything
Prolouge "How could you do this?" A blue-gray she-cat wailed. "He was one of my best warriors, and you let that ''happen to him?" The powerful golden tabby in front of her sighed. "Calm yourself, Bluestar. You know very well I had nothing to do with this. I cannot alter what is to happen, or make certain things happen. There will be no stopping it..." He trailed off and sniffed. Bluestar lashed her tail. "Lionheart, I... We have to do something! We can't just let him -" "Bluestar!" Lionheart snapped, cutting her off. "We. Can't. Do. Anything! You know that!" His voice softened when his former leader flinch at his scathing tone. "I would, Bluestar, if it was possible. I like Longtail too. He stayed loyal when Tigerclaw was banished and offered for him to go too. He respected Firestar when you passed and he rose. He fought beside me more than once." His eyes glazed. "But it must come to this." Bluestar wailed again, and leaned against Lionheart's shoulder. He led her away into the blackness of the forest. Chapter One Longtail pricked his ears, hoping to hear the scuttling of prey in the undergrowth. Brackenfur's tail brushed his flank; he turned to see the golden warrior inclining his ears toward an oak tree. A squirrel chomped nuts among the roots. Longtail nodded and Brackenfur stalked after it. He opened his jaws and drew air over his scent glands. Prey scent tickled his nose. ''Rabbit! But what was wrong with it? There was a strange tint to it, almost like the reek of sickness. It was like a cat rolled in mud; It was still cat scent, it just smelled a little funny. It was deffinetley rabbit; There was no denying it. It just... Then he spotted it, a big fat one, cleaing it's face and paws. It didn't look sick. Maybe it just stepped in something yucky, ''Longtail decided. He dropped into a crouch and glided forward. It looked fast; Longtail would have to be very quick if he wanted to give Ferncloud's new kits a good piece of rabbit to eat. He leaped, but a heartbeat to slow; the rabbit bolted away, Longtail hard on it's heels. Suddenly, the rabbit whipped around. Confused, Longtail staggered to a stop. The rabbit lunged and raked it's stubby claws down Longtail's face. ''There is something wrong with this rabbit! He wailed to himself as he felt the tips rip across his eyes. He gasped as he felt blood spurt from the wounds, replacing the image of the rabbit with a red haze. He was in trouble. "Help!" Chapter Two Longtail was lying in the earth, writhering in pain, when Brackenfur found him. The striped warrior called to Cloudtail and Rainpaw, the other members of the patrol, and together the two warriors supported Longtail back to camp. He whimpered when he heard the shocked gasps from his Clanmates as they squished through the gorse tunnel. "What happened?" Firestar's hoarse mew sounded close to Longtail's ear. While Brackenfur explained, Cloudtail murmured "Don't worry. We'll get you to Cinderpelt right away. She'll fix you up." He nodded, and let Cloudtail and Brackenfur guide him towards the medicine den, Firestar following close behind. He heard Cinderpelt gasp. "How did this happen?" She demanded. Brackenfur sighed and explained again. Cinderpelt laid her tail on his shoulder, trying to calm him. He stopped yowling - it didn't hurt as much now, but it felt sticky and uncomfortable - and turned to Cinderpelt. "Cinderpelt, am I going to be blind?" He felt the medicine cat stiffen. "I can't tell until I've examined your eyes," She mewed. He sighed and obeyed as she ordered him to lie in a nest of ferns. He already knew the answer. Yes. Chapter Three Cinderpelt was chewing another poultice for Longtail's eyes when he woke. There was more sticky discharge around the lids. He sighed and forced them open, even though Cinderpelt told him to always pat some soaked moss on them to get rid of the discharge. When will my sight completely fail? ''He asked himself; all he could see was colors and hte main shape of things. Cinderpelt was only a slender dark gray square, the herb leafs in front of her only green triangles. "Good morning, Longtail," Cinderpelt mewed turning around. "I have some marigold and celandine pulp here. The margigold will help stop infection, and the celandine helps heal damaged eyes." Longtail's heart soared when he heard that. ''There's an herb specially for damaged eyes? ''He sniffed at the pulp, trying to memorize the scent of marigold. Cinderpelt crouched beside him; he could hear her claws scape the pulp off the leaf. He sat still as she plastered the goop around his eyes, making sure to get some juices onto the cuts. "Cinderpelt?" Longtail raised his head and tried to make out the pelt color: white and ginger. "Hi, Brightheart," Longtail greeted her. "Hello, Longtail." She crouched beside him and licked his ear once. "How're your eyes?" He sighed. "Better. They don't hurt much. But I can't see very well. Only main shapes, and colors." Brightheart sighed and rose to her paws. She left the den, Cinderpelt following. ''Will I ever get to see my Clanmates again? Chapter Four "Shouldn't you be resting?" Longtail awoke to hear Firestar's taut mew. He kept his eyes closed and listened to Cinderpelt and Frestar talk quietly to eachother about his eyes for a moment. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Firestar." He raised his head, keeping his eyes closed. "What will happen to me if I go blind? If I can't be a warrior anymore?" The thought of sheathing his claws forever made him terrified. "Don't worry about that. Whatever happens, there'll always be a place for you in ThunderClan." It sounded as if Firestar was trying to convince himself, not just Longtail. He sighed nad laid his head back down. He was only half-satisfied by his leaders reply. He wanted to retire when he was old, to serve his Clan as long as he could. How could he do that if he was blind? Cinderpelt patted more poltice onto his eyes just before he drifted off. * * * Longtail was lying beside the rock in Cinderpelt's den a few days later when a familiar scent reached his nostrils. "Hi, Firestar," He greeted his leader. "Can you see me?" Hope thickened his voice. He blinked once, trying to clear his sight. "Yes...no. I'm not sure. You're just a blur. I think I reconized you by your scent." "Your eyes are no better, then?" Disappointment made Firestar's voice crack. He sighed. "No. I think they're getting worse." Cinderpelt emerged, and after telling him she wasn't giving up yet, she patted a new poultice into his eyes. He held still so the juices would seep under his lids. "Did you want something Firestar?" Cinderpelt asked. "A word with Longtail. It's about Sootpaw." Sadness fluttered in Longtail's belly. "I know he's not being mentored. It'd been worrying me," He responded. What was Firestar getting at? "As soon as he's fit to train again, I think I should find another cat to take over. Just until your eyes are better." Longtail's heart shattered. He was affraid that Firestar would say something like this. And he really liked ''Sootpaw. The young tom was eager to learn, and caught on easily to the moves Longtail showed him. "You don't have to lie to me, Firestar. I know perfectly well I'm going blind. I won't ever train another apprentice." He half expected Cinderpelt to jump to his defense and say that he wouldn't go blind, but she stayed silent. Cold fear gripped his belly. ''Am I ''right? He wondered. "We'll worry about that when it happens." Firestar's voice cracked a bit, and the leader swallowed hard. "Right now we need to find Sootpaw another mentor. Do you think that Thornclaw would be a good choice?" Thornclaw. Longtail didn't espacially favor the striped tom, but he was loyal, brave, and strong. He'd be able to keep up well with the energetic Sootpaw, though he questioned if the tom would ever be the same, since his mother died a few days ago. After a few heartbeats of silence, he agreed. "Yes, he's very keen. It's time he had an apprentice. Sootpaw will do fine with him." "That's settled, then. Thanks, Longtail." So that was it. The last apprentice he would ever train was snatched away from him and passed to Thornclaw. Firestar asked Cinderpelt to take a walk with him in the forest, and after making sure that Sorrelpaw, Sootpaw, Rainpaw, and Longtail were settled in and didn't need anything, she left. He sighed and laid his head on his paws, closing his burning, blurry eyes. If his apprentice had been given a new mentor, was there no hope for him? Chapter Five Two sunrises after Firestar and Sandstorm left for a journey, Longtail awoke with a new pain in his eyes. It wasn't dull and sore, like it normally was. It was sharp, like getting your flank slashed by claws. He howled in alarm as the pain grew stronger. "Cinderpelt! Cinderpelt, my eyes!" Where was Cinderpelt? Normally the medicine cat couldn't leave him alone. Now, when he needed her, she was gone. He wanted to open his eyes, but he was affraid that it would make them hurt more. "CINDERPELT!" His lungs began to ache from yowling so much, but his eyes began to feel as if they were on fire. He heard paws scuffle the earth as some cat came in. "Cinderpelt?" "No! It's me, Ferncloud!" Ferncloud folded down beside him nad started grooming his face, steering clear of his eyes. "What's wrong, Longtail?" Even though Ferncloud was very young, her licks reminded him of being cleaned by his mother, Robinwing. "My eyes are burning," He whimpered. His former apprentice gasped. "And that's not normal?" He shook his head. "Where's Cinderpelt?" He asked. Ferncloud twisted around to glance at the enterance. "I don't know. She left the camp a little while ago. I think she was getting more borage for Brightheart." Longtail groaned. "Would you like me to go find her?" Ferncloud mewed gently. "No, Ferncloud. You have kits. Stay with them." "Nonsense. You need Cinderpelt. I'll have Brightheart watch them for a bit." Ferncloud rose to her paws and rushed out. Longtail buried his nsoe in his paws, knowing he couldn't sleep, but didn't know what else to do. After a while, Cinderpelt rushed in. "Longtail! Ferncloud found me. She said your eyes were hurting." Longtail nodded. "I don't know what's wrong. I woke up, and they felt like they were burning." Cinderpelt crouched beside him and gently felt the cuts below and above his eyes. "Can you open your eyes, Longtail? I want to check for infection." Longtail groaned, but gently opened his lids, expecting to see the fluffy pelt of Cinderpelt standing before him. Instead, he saw darkness. Chapter Six "Cinderpelt, is it dark outside?" He asked slowly, blinking. He could sense the medicine cats confusion. "No...it's birhgt and sunny outside. Why?" He felt everything he trained for, everything he lived for, drain from him. It was over. "I can't see, Cinderpelt. It's just darkness." Cinderpelt stiffened and began sniffing his eyes frantically. She drew back, inhaling sharply. "Longtail...I'm so sorry. It's over. There's nothing I can do once your sights gone," She croaked. Her voice shook. He felt sympathy for the dark gray cat; She had tried her hardest, and it wasn't her fault his sight ahd failed. "It's OK, Cinderpelt. I know you tried your best; you wouldn't have just ''let ''me go blind." The ferns at the enterance swished, and Cloudtail padded in. "Hey Longtail!" The white warrior greeted him. He nodded to his Clanmate; He was dragging something heavy between his paws. He sniffed the air: Rabbit. "Look, Longtail! I caught the rabbit the clawed your eyes!" ''What? He leaned forward and sniffed the lump of fur at Cloudtail's paws. That day came rushing back; Stalking the rabbit, running after it, getting clawed, being found by the patrol, being brought back to camp... He whimpered and shoved the rabbit away. Cinderpelt sighed and turned to Cloudtail. "His sight just failed," She explained. Cloudtail groaned. "There was ''something wrong with it," The white tom meowed. "Graystripe thinks it had rabies." Rabies. A disease that made animals act differently. Attacking a cat that was planning on killing it was definetley out of character for a rabbit. "Get rid of it," He growled, shoving it farther away. "A cat who eats it will get it's rabies. We don't need that." Cloudtail mewed a farwell and dragged the rabbit away to bury it. He turned abck to Cinderpelt. "I'll go...make a nest with the elders, I guess. There's no reason for me to stay here anymore." Cinderpelt let out a gusty sigh. "I'll help you. The moss is by the enterance." He was gathering a bundle when Cinderpelt's tail brushed his flank. He looked up. "I really am sorry, Longtail. I tried." He flicked her ear with his tail and carried his moss to the elders den. "Hi, Longtail," Frostfur greeted him. "Did you bring moss for our ensts?" He shook his head, muted by the moss in his jaws. "No, Frostfur," Cinderpelt mewed quietly. "Longtail is joining you now. He lost his eyesight." Dappletail gasped. "Oh, poor thing! Here, there room between me and Goldenflower. Just follow my voice." He padded towards her, hearing the all the she-cats pull there tails and paws out of his way. Dappletail's tail brushed his shoulder, steering him towards an empty space. He shaped a nest and spiraled down into it. He sighed and laid his ehad on his paws. It was official. His life as a warrior was over. ''Hope you enjoyed!